It’s time

So many things to say!

I finished and submitted my masters thesis!!!!!!!!!!!!  I had a month extension, but I pushed really hard over the last couple of weeks and only used one(!) day of my extension.  So stoked.  One BIG step towards completion.  Now I only have a presentation, panel interviews x 2, and paperwork!  It is definitely starting to feel more real now.

After six years, I am ready!

So what now?

I think that it is time to start looking after myself.  I am back to exercising 5+ times per week.  I am week 2 into p90x (after accidentally starting p90x+).  And while focussing on getting back on track health-wise, it is time to get started on the job hunt!

Look out for my November goals very soon!  And maybe even an October review

Read Full Post »

Getting there

It is Mr. Js birthday today(!)  We are heading out tonight for Steak, but only the best steak in Canberra – Kingsley’s Steakhouse.  I will try my very best to take pictures, even though I am iphoneless at the moment (10 more days max!!!!).  Expect to see a birthday/Kingsleys/night off post with pictures for once!

It will be nice to take the night off to just relax, well as much as I can relax right now 

About today, I hit a little bump, or a setback… thesis is still coming along, just a bit slower than I would like.  Just small edits that take way too long(!)  Anyway, because of editing/writing, and my mid-placement review this morning (another stressor ha!), and Mr. J’s birthday, I wasn’t sure if I would have to re-schedule p90x day two (yup p90x day one done yesterday!).

I probably could have done more work today if I hadn’t worked out, but hey, I want to make it a priority again.

>> So day one, Core Synergistics, it was okay.  And today, day TWO, done!  Cardio X, also ok.  I would have liked more cardio, for longer (only 14mins vigorous), but I am still sweaty!

I am still not monitoring my intake, but I have decided that beginning November, it will be official – I am gonna bring it(!)  [p90x style]

Read Full Post »

The Final Stretch

I am really under the pump. With course work done, placement stuff is well on its way, but the thesis haunts me(!)

I am in the final stretch, but even that fact is not pushing me as much as I need it to.  I need my draft to be ready next week.  So, it is going to be a long week, and even longer weekend.  But hopefully, once the draft is done, I will have more time for other things …

I cannot wait to write my very last post about the depressing, boring drudgery of University.  Soon, soon, my friends   

I am starting to get excited about November.  With the bulk of the work out of the way, I will have more time to dedicate to getting fit and losing those last few kilos.  Even though it will be hard for me, I am going to take new measurements, weigh in, and body fat % – and have a month of daily exercise, and daily clean eating.

Ok, time to get writing…!

Read Full Post »

Motivate Me

So, after a week off exercise, well actually 2 weeks at reduced exercise…     I got the bug again today.

I don’t know if it was the 9hrs of sleep last night;  The extension I was granted for my thesis;  The realisation that my cruise holiday is only 2 months away;  Or perhaps that my body knows that enough is enough (overeating much?).

I want to complete, as soon as possible, but not at the detriment of my body.  Plus pass/fail generally means = chill the f*** out.  Not that telling myself that has really changed anything(!) 

So, despite the stress, I gave week 1 of Jillian Michael’s Ripped in 30 DVD.  I was pretty surprised, the cardio was intense.  Amazing how quickly you adjust to routine, I am quite happy doing 30 Day Shred Level 3 now, but level 1 for Ripped?  It was tough.

Anyway, back to the point of this post – motivation.  Today, I had a heap of it.  Editing my goals, changing up my calendar.  Yep, I can totally exercise every day.  Why not see what I can achieve – really commit to Ripped in 30.  30 days straight, totally doable!  Ha!

Doesn’t take much for my what I ‘want’ to do, to overwhelm what I will realistically “do”.  Still, I don’t like to throw it away… you never know, right.  I could shock myself and actually get to where I want to be(!)  Not all that realistic with 6 years of study coming to an end over the next month.  Maybe next month…

But still, I hope.  I am going to take it one day at a time.  And hopefully find some motivation for my thesis, — the quicker it’s done the sooner I can work toward the goals that I am actually interested in(!)

 

Read Full Post »

The Weekender

It was a long weekend… and not in a good way.  Well it really is a long weekend, but I had lots of work to do, so it was extra long(!)

Saturday began with a run/walk – c25k week 1, run 2.  Yep, I haven’t been keeping up with it according to the program schedule.  But I did the same routine as Tuesday last week – 5 minute warm up, 1 minute run, 1.5 minute walk (x8) and 5 minute cool down.  I think it might have been a tiny bit easier than Tuesday, and it was raining and miserable.  So I was pretty pleased I knocked it over.

Then came the dramas.  We haven’t had internet for a week or so, which is frustrating, but not manageable as I have internet on my phone.  But, Saturday, my laptop decided to stop charging – it had been playing up for a couple of weeks, but if the cord was positioned just right, it was okay.  But, this was the case no longer – and I was freaking out.  With the last of the battery, I tried to back up my laptop, but it cut out before it finished.  I was pretty sure it was a laptop issue, not a cord issue (making things pretty complicated).  And on top of that, my laptop has a statistical program on it that I need for my thesis, which costs $$$ and I didn’t have another copy.  The laptop is rented so could easily get a loaner,  but doesn’t solve the program problem.

Anyway, you get the point – I was freaking out.  3 weeks till deadline, I did not need it.

So hoping for the best, Mr. J took a distressed me holding on to my laptop as if it were life or death, to Harvey Norman.  The computer guy tried an adaptor thingy, and success, it still charged – so it is just a cord issue.  After a few attempts he found one in stock that matched mine, and … disaster averted.

He asks, are your assignments due – and I was like errr… “THESIS” … the relief was pretty crazy.

So a long story short -  no excuses now, back to work I go 

Read Full Post »

Off the Wagon?

Back on the cold & flu tabs…

Feel like I’ve really fallen off the fitness wagon.  Just feeling a bit overwhelmed with all the academic related work I have going on at the moment.  I suppose that three days off doesn’t really constitute falling off the wagon – but my nutrition related goals have certainly taken a massive hit.  My goals for September were largely focused on getting my nutrition in check, and so far, my focus on it has been pretty non-existent.  Plus, I haven’t weighed in for three weeks.

So not really liking where I am at, at the moment.

In other news, the good news is    that I made it to the gym yesterday, in an attempt to break out of this slump.  My usual Wednesday = Step.  Still feeling the slump this morning though.

Does anyone use Fitocracy?  I like the concept, the competitiveness   I am giving it a go, but so far it is just another place to have to log activity(!)

Read Full Post »

Me? A Stresshead?!

Well, it really is getting to the crazy-stress end of the year now, uni-wise that is.  I have to keep reminding myself of why I am doing my masters(!)  It’s a tad depressing, or I am depressing?! 

I seem to have a never-ending list of things to do, and only two months from tomorrow to get everything done.  I am trying to stay positive, but my stress often seems outta control.

Mr. J tries to be understanding, but there is no denying that it is having a major impact on our relationship.

I’m trying hard not to be crazy, but what am I doing just doesn’t seem to be working, or isn’t enough.

> I exercise 5 times a week minimum
> I go to bed early
> I plan, I prioritise, I am organised
> I take time out

But I also avoid, procrastinate and overeat.

 

I need to make a real effort to focus for my last couple of months at uni (EVER!).  So less procrastination, and more doing.  Less perfectionism and more items crossed off the list.

Doing more work, means a more sedentary lifestyle.  But it’s really important that I don’t lose focus of my health goals.  I need to make time for exercise, I need to put in the effort to prepare healthy food, I need to get enough sleep.  Otherwise, I will stress and worry over that as well.

So it is about balance.  Hopefully I can find that balance sooner rather than later

Read Full Post »

Out of Action

No, I haven’t fallen off the wagon – I just have no internets!   And a lot has been going on anyway really…  Crazy times, I am holding on to the fact that I only have a few months to go and I will be out of university forever!

So time for a re-cap I reckon

Monday – Working, working, not so happy about my current situation, but thinking positive and hoping things will start to look up.
Tuesday – Wasn’t too much better on that front.  But I did make it to the gym for 4.14km run/walk in 35 minutes.
Wednesday – Meetings, and more meetings… Then Step(!)  My favourite at the moment
Thursday – Class all day… not very exciting either.
Friday – Started the day with 30 Day Shred Level 3.  Then it was onto assignments, coursework, research etc, but at least I was at home    Later Mr. J and I hit up Friday late night shopping, a few errands, and then dinner at Gus’s Cafe.

Calories over the week were pretty average:
Monday – 2108 cals burned and a 559 cal deficit.
Tuesday – 2639 cals burned and a 822 cal deficit.
Wednesday – 2346 cals burned and a 803 cal deficit.
Thursday – 2126 cals burned and a 405 cal deficit.
Friday – 2436 cals burned and a 779 cal defcit.

Happy it’s the weekend, but also stressy about stuff that I should be doing – ahh the woes of being a student.

Read Full Post »

Stepping it Up

Another long day, filled by doing an ass-ignment.  And I mean ass quite literally   We do a two day workshop, on a particular topic never seen before, learning nothing to aid the actual completion of the tasks, but that’s just the way it is.  University, I will not miss you, not one little bit!

Anyway, on to more exciting things!  After a long day, I totally was not feeling the exercise bug at all(!)  But, as I said in a previous post, I really want to quit this whole -1 day on, 1 day off- exercise routine thing I had going on!

So I bit the bullet and decided to get back into the gym classes again.  My favourite – Step.  I was such a sweaty, red-faced mess by the time we were done.  The routine at my gym now incorporates weight plates, so getting some arm work in there, and also adding intensity to squats and lunges.  I think I am going to hurt tomorrow, but in a good way 

So as of 7:12pm, I am at 2123 calories.  Too busy to log my food today, but basically ate exactly the same thing as yesterday - What?!  I am a creature of habit – Plus I can be lazy   But 35 minutes vigorous activity – lazy, I don’t think so!

Read Full Post »

A Late, Lazy One

Tuesday, was my usual ‘Terrible Tuesday‘ but worse due to the crazy Canberra weather – sleet rain and ridic wind.  Yes, ballet flats made an appearance today, but these were way more waterproof (than last time)!

9-5 class means I spent the majority of the day inside, seated.  And although it was crazy and dark and scary when I left uni, I forced myself to head home, change and get to the gym.  I was expecting the gym to be emptier than usual, but it was packed!  No treadmills free, seriously?!  So I elliptical’d for 30 mins, doing 4km.

Because I am lazy, I can’t be bothered to actually take my BodyMedia armband off and plug it in to my laptop, so I have taken a screenshot of my phone of the bluetooth provided stats – pretty cool huh! I am really pleased that I managed to get some vigorous acitivity in today.  The calories consumed is prob a bit off, I had to guestimate my lunch today – So I’m assuming that it is actually a bit higher than that.  But 2000 cals burned on a 9-5 class day, I can totally handle that! 

Read Full Post »